Essays Understanding Human Psychology Youtube

The dramatic influence of rapidly growing social media, computers, telephony, television, movies and the Internet continue to surprise us all. Among the most fascinating developments is what we are learning from brain research using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Results are revealing specific outcomes affecting the brain and behavior. Media psychology is now an official sub-specialty in the field of psychology. Recently, in Washington, D.C., I participated as member of the board of directors of Division 46, the Media Psychology Division of the American Psychology Association (APA) when we examined some of the new knowledge about the good and bad effects of video games, online learning and internet resources such as Google, Yahoo and other media that most of us use every day.

Recent studies now validate the reality of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD). IAD can cause tremors, shivers, nausea and anxiety in some addicts. Many professionals now consider IAD analogous to substance abuse. They include it among other pathological behaviors such as gambling and eating disorders. Try removing a young "gamer" from a video game in a hurry. You will discover how difficult it is to break the attachment between the teen and the screen.

In short, some people use broadcast and Internet media as a mental and emotional retreat and refuge. Addicts are connected to their screens; their minds trapped for hours to the exclusion of the world around them. Addicts neglect family, work, studies, social relationships and themselves. This is an addictive obsession that is human-centered and screen-deep. Mind-altering media applications may be found in video games, iPods, YouTube and other evolving communications applications. In general, these negative aspects of media and behavior are being widely discussed simultaneously with the discussion of the beneficial contributions media makes as an important source for positive behavioral change.

Telemedicine, teletherapy and telehealth are yielding new information and better understanding that will lead to improved services to the public. The value of positive psychology has been validated. Positive media messages are helping to improve public understanding of major social and medical consequences of issues affecting the public such as body weight, diet and lack of exercise, high cholesterol, and hypertension to highlight only a few. Increased public awareness and understanding through media is leading us to positive behavioral changes. Media psychology applied to major social issues can be a force for good. In addition, the growth of new Internet applications in commercial areas such as online buying and banking are positively contributing to the world's economy at an astonishing rate.

Media-centric education is also growing apace. Education, from kindergarten through graduate school, corporate education and career learning, is being transformed by media. The art and science of teaching and learning in virtual environments is a highly specialized field that now requires specific understanding and expertise. I recently enjoyed dinner with Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, with whom I serve on the Board of HiTechHigh, Los Angeles. We talked about the current state of education, media and technology. Buzz, who earned a Ph.D in astronautics from MIT, observed that "children today have more computer power at their fingertips to do their homework than was onboard the space vehicles that fist carried us into space." When I asked Buzz if this is a good or bad thing, he shot back, "Its good....absolutely." Media and social media are distributors and drivers of social change. We need increased understanding of the effects of media to help manage our future. Our community must grapple with our cultural or religious sensitivities. If we don't shape our future, it will shape us.

THE GOOD MEDIA EFFECTS:

IQs are rising, according to the Education Testing Service. Much of the increase is due to advances in media assisted learning and interactive game playing.

Girls are advancing in the field of science. Some studies attribute this to increased numbers of females engaging in interactive game play.

The nexus between media and learning is increasingly popular and we are learning more about learning.

Communication is increasing across cultures.

Media has helped foster public understanding of many crucial issues.

THE BAD MEDIA EFFECTS:

Attention spans are decreasing because of exposure to excessively stimulating and fast-paced media. A direct link between exposure to media stimulation and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has surfaced from research.

Violence in media causes desensitization to violence. It may facilitate violent acts. Violence may be contagious by observational learning and social agreement.

Media-assisted crimes like identity theft and child pornography are taking new forms.

Average number of sleep hours per night decreases in inverse proportion to the average number of hours per day of Internet use.

Research has found that playing action video games has a positive effect leading to improvements in visual attention. Therefore, research is revealing both problems and benefits from the relationship between media stimulation and attention. More study is important.

Media studies, media and culture, media and communications psychology, are central to our early 21st century world. New knowledge is emerging. We presently know a lot more than we understand. As responsible parents and citizens, we must "pay attention."

I am pleased to have the opportunity to share some of the new knowledge from the field of media psychology, especially as it relates to the family, and to discuss questions as part of our effort to create a a positive future together.

Special thanks to Dr. Toni Luskin for her assistance with this article.

Author. Dr. Bernard Luskin, LMFT is CEO of www.LuskinInternational.com. He has served as CEO of eight colleges and universities, most recently as Chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District. Luskin is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and school psychologist, President Emeritus of the Society for Media Psychology and Technology of th American Psychological Association and an APA Fellow. Luskin received the UCLA Doctoral Alumni Association, European Commission, Irish Government and APA Society for Media Psychology and Technology Awards for Lifetime Contributions to Education and Media Psychology. Send communications to: BernieLuskin@gmail.com.

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The Media Psychology Effect

Over the past year, I’ve developed a new binge-watching habit. But it’s not on Netflix.

No, it’s weirder than that: it’s YouTube video essays.

If you haven’t spent much time in this sector of YouTube, here’s how a video essay usually works: an expert (or a superfan) uses a mix of video, animation, infographics, academia, and humor to explain a complicated subject in simple terms. Think of them as mini-lectures, delivered in a bite-sized format you’ll actually want to finish.

While there’s usually just one voice or presenter onscreen, these channels are often made possible by a small team of collaborative researchers, editors, designers, and animators. (And, if they get popular enough, sponsors.) So, in essence, each video essay is a (usually) brief episode in a loosely-related series on a topic, made either by one artist or by a branded team with a shared vision.

I’ll show you some of what I think are the best YouTube channels for storytellers in a moment. But first, let’s tackle one basic question:

What Does It Take to Make a Great Video Essay?

YouTube is full of video essays on every subject imaginable, from history and science to music, writing, video games, film, and more. From the channels I’ve explored over the past year, I’ve identified five traits that help the best video essays reliably rise above the rest:

A clear and well-supported premise in each essay

A consistent voice and tone across all videos

Simple yet effective visuals

EITHER a compelling narrative OR a satisfying setup and payoff

I can easily explain what I just learned to someone else

Each of the following channels excels in at least one of these areas, and often in all five. They’re also fantastic examples of how to structure a headline hook that attracts attention and then holds it throughout the length of the video.

The result?

Not only will these channels teach you something you didn’t know, but they’ll do it in a way you’re more likely to connect with, enjoy, remember, and want to share with others.

With that, let’s take a(n alphabetical) look at…

23 of the Best YouTube Channels for Storytellers

Austin McConnell

Channel Focus: Half weird pop culture, half media analysis.

Why Do I Dig It? Laid-back delivery, low-key comedy timing, and detailed dives into media I wouldn’t have explored otherwise — like the underground world of China’s bootleg Star Wars comics.

Coffee Break

Why Do I Dig It? Great quick examples of how to frame and support an argument.

Every Frame a Painting

Channel Focus: Deep dives into the styles and trends that shaped the history of film.

Why Do I Dig It? Every video is like a slightly longer film school lesson.

Extra Credits

Channel Focus: It varies. I found them through their fantastic series of historical explainer videos, but they also explore video games, psychology, and more.

Why Do I Dig It? Two reasons. First, they make history lively by structuring their videos as narratives about their subjects’ needs and desires. Second, their innovative use of universally cute icons to represent various historical figures has an unusual effect: it humanizes everyone equally, which allows the audience to invest themselves emotionally in all sides.

Jon Bois

Why Do I Dig It? Every video Jon creates is a work of 8-bit art with a nugget about the truth of the human condition buried inside.

Just Write

Channel Focus: Analyzing films and TV to find out why some stories work and some don’t.

Why Do I Dig It? Channel creator Sage Hyden digs deep into story structure to explain how the format of our media affects the kinds of stories we tell. For example, this video will change the way you think about animated movies.

kaptainkristian

Channel Focus: High-level overviews of huge pop culture topics.

Why Do I Dig It? These are perfect “introduction to ___” videos for anyone who’s always wondered “what’s the deal with ___?”

Karsten Runquist

Channel Focus: Analyzing story structure in film and TV.

Why Do I Dig It? Runquist exposes narrative tricks hiding in plain sight — like during the first few minutes of Stranger Things — in such a way that you suddenly feel like you knew them all along.

Kurzgesagt

Channel Focus: Explaining how life works, both literally and figuratively.

Why Do I Dig It? Possibly the best union of animation and narration on YouTube. Plus, they make super-complex subjects infinitely easier to understand.

Lessons from the Screenplay

Channel Focus: Comparing finished films to their screenplays to find the building blocks that help good scripts become great movies.

Why Do I Dig It? Each video explains a core storytelling technique through visual examples that make what could be dry theories into easily-remembered demonstrations.

Lindsay Ellis

Mark Brown

Channel Focus: Explaining how video games work via examples of good and bad game design.

Why Do I Dig It?When you’re playing a video game, you rarely have time to stop and appreciate how it was built. Every video Mark adds to his Game Maker’s Toolkit series helps you appreciate the multiple systems and creators at work behind the interactive experiences we often take for granted.

Movies with Mikey (on Chainsawsuit)

Channel Focus: Irony-drenched movie analysis that’s almost as long as the movies themselves.

Why Do I Dig It?Deep, smart, wry deconstructions that pull no punches.

Patrick (H) Willems

Channel Focus: Functional film analysis, sometimes on a shot-by-shot basis.

Why Do I Dig It?Willems is an aspiring director who treats every essay like it’s his own short film.

The School of Life

Channel Focus: Love, relationships, and identity.

Why Do I Dig It? Blunt advice, delivered by often beautiful and always emotionally evocative animation.

Terrible Writing Advice

Why Do I Dig It? The writing “advice” is good, but the details embedded in the animations are even better.

Veritasium

Channel Focus: The oddities of science, math, and statistics.

Why Do I Dig It? Simple explanations of scientific laws and theories, often with easy-to-remember examples.

Vox Pop

Channel Focus: Vox Media’s subset of videos that focus on the art, science, and business of pop music.

Why Do I Dig It? Part history lesson and part musicology course, host Estelle Caswell explains how musical trends work using anecdotes and visual aids.

Wisecrack

Channel Focus: Pop culture meets philosophy.

Why Do I Dig It? In addition to being one of the highest-quality video essay channels on YouTube, every Wisecrack video analyzes a piece of pop culture from multiple angles — artistically, sociologically, philosophically, and more.

Two Quick Caveats About This List

I study a lot of film and media, so my list of the best YouTube channels is obviously biased in that direction. Also, I’m frustrated to note that my list is almost entirely made up of white guys, which highlights of the apparent lack of diversity in the video essay field. I’d like to expand this list in both directions, and you can help me out.

So, if you (or someone you dig) are doing great video essays on other topics or from other perspectives, I’d love to see what you’re working on. Tweet me or leave a comment below so others can see what you’re up to!

If You Like This Post

… then you may also enjoy this one about the story problem in Blade Runner 2049, or this one about 10 easy tips to make your writing more readable for online audiences.